The present invention relates to apparatus for preventing access to a floppy disk drive in a computer
As the use of personal computers proliferates in everyday business and personal life, and as the population becomes more computer literate, the need for computer security becomes more and more significant. Personal computers are often situated in physical locations where access cannot be completely controlled. In the past, sensitive information was typically stored in a filing cabinet which could be locked when the custodian was absent. When computers initially became prevalent, they were large machines housed in separate rooms and accessible only to those with specialized knowledge--security was more or less inherent. Now, sensitive information is typically resident in the hard disk of a desk top computer, such computers can be accessed by many people with knowledge of standard computer software, and the security of such information is more difficult to maintain. Indeed, the problem is more acute in the personal computer environment because information on the hard disk can be copied wholesale onto a floppy disk in seconds, and the breach of security is not apparent to the authorized users of the computer. The fact that the breach of security is not apparent to the authorized user is often more of a problem than the actual taking of the information by one who is unauthorized.
Various approaches have been attempted to maintain computer security, and in particular to prevent unauthorized access to a computer through its floppy disk drive. A relatively straightforward approach is illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 4,918,952, in which a locking mechanism is formed as an integral part of the disk drive. However, this approach requires the computer itself to be custom tailored to accommodate the security device. Another approach is illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 4,907,111, in which a special dummy disk is inserted, and a second member is affixed to the dummy disk to prevent access to the disk drive. However, this approach requires two relatively bulky members to provide security, and that a mechanism to be inserted into the delicate read/write mechanism of the drive.
Various devices have been recently introduced in which a simple locking mechanism is secured to the inside surface of the slot which provides access to the disk drive. Typically, such devices have tabs on either end so that the device cannot slip to one side or the other, plus a central locking mechanism, much like that shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,918,952, but located on the device itself. The locking mechanism has a hasp which rotates from a horizontal position for insertion of the lock to a vertical position in which the hasp engages the inside surface of the slot and prevents access to the disk drive. Devices of this type require that the locking hasp be inserted directly into the drive, however, and such devices are not adaptable to certain types of disk drives.